The Player to Whom the License was Given
by KaraKurama
Summary: Cross' POV: When the player is found the man realizes what he must to do abide by the wishes of the original Musician


**Watching from Afar**

_Cross' POV_

I'd spent thirty years keeping an eye on Mana Walker while I waited for the one person I was looking for to show up. The trauma that Neah, Mana's brother and the extra fourteenth Noah who chose to betray his clan, had caused sent a ripple through the Noah clan and it took twenty years for the reincarnations to be born into the world and further seven for them to awaken to their powers. The quiet that followed the destruction of the clan was interrupted at long last.

Mana had taken up his old life in the circus and I kept an eye on him after that fateful day in the woods. I had managed to keep him safe for these last three decades by making sure no one knew that they previous Fourteenth had an older brother. I never even told the Order that little detail. Central never got its hands on that tidbit of information and I was going to keep it that way until I was given the opportunity to tell the unfortunate successor to his power what his destiny was.

I carried the other half to that power, my little golden golem Timcanpy, at all times and would never give him up until the time came to do so. Tim held the Musician's score and thus was incredibly important to the plans Neah had set into motion before he died. He'd chosen to deliberately split his power into two segments to ensure that, even if one was caught, the other would be safe and therefore prevent the plan from unraveling. I'd vowed to myself that I'd protect this strange plan he had and help his successor come to his powers when he was ready. This self appointed mission of mine was rather luckily accompanied by an assignment from the Order that I hunt down the Noah's hiding place and figure out how they were able to create so many Akuma. The only part of the plan that wasn't going so smoothly was the only person involved who had no idea what was going on: Neah's older brother Mana.

Mana's sanity had begun to slip the day after his brother died and each year I could see that little look in his eyes that said he was losing his mind. His acts even began to reflect this as he would create very complex scenes to entertain others while he was almost always miserable. As I made my thirtieth trip to meet up with the aging man I had the feeling that this visit wasn't going to be like the last ones. The look on Mana's face was intriguingly cheery and I began to grow curious as to why he was suddenly so happy.

I showed up at Mana's tent after the show on the night of the anniversary. The man was bouncing about like a child who'd been given too much candy and was removing his stage makeup with a rather large smile on his face. Thinking that perhaps he'd either gotten drunk or finally snapped, I put on the same smile I'd worn twenty nine other times and walked inside pretending to be happy. Mana simply gave me a grin and continued his merry trotting about the tent, "Is there something I can do for you, General Cross?"

The question took me by surprise. Did he forget what today was? Surely he hadn't forgotten that his brother had died protecting him. I sat down on a small stool and stared at the guy in shock. Mana had really just asked me why I was here. Having seen the look on my face, Mana gave a small shrug and stood in front of me, "I'm aware what today is, Cross. I could never forget that awful night. I mean I have no more use of your comfort. I've found a companion that reminds me ever so much of my brother."

The puzzled look on my face remained and in my mind I asked what kind of companion he'd found that could even seem to be like Neah. I meant to ask this very question but before my thoughts became words a small boy wandered into the tent with the same paint on his face that Mana wore. This boy had the same steely eyes that Neah was known for and really did remind me of him. Now I could see why Mana was so happy. He must've thought he'd found the reincarnation of his long dead younger brother. Everything about the child was nearly identical to him: his hair was dark and messy, his eyes were a cold, calculating gray, and his attitude showed through the smile he projected to others. This boy could be dangerous in the right situation. There was something about the child that didn't seem normal, though. I could feel a familiar pulse radiating from his body, but I wasn't entirely sure that what that pulse stood for was true. It was when he took his gloves off that I could see that it WAS true. This boy, Allen, as Mana called him, had a deformed arm and a cross on the back of his hand with a green glow. So my hunch was right. This boy was the accommodator of a parasitic type Innocence. This child was destined to be an exorcist. I couldn't believe this child was going to grow up into a life of violence and eventually find himself in life threatening situations as an exorcist in the Order.

As Allen also removed his face paint I couldn't help but wonder why he looked so familiar to me. I'd never seen this child before yet I had the feeling that I knew him years ago. The only possible explanation to cross my mind was rather unusual. The only time I had contact with children was at the Order, but he wasn't an exorcist or scientist, and around ten years ago when I'd been searching around for the person to help fulfill my then twenty year quest to find the Player during which I found my charge and gave him the power he would eventually need to end this war once and for all. Ironically, the Fourteenth had chosen a child with an Innocence. If this was the kid I thought he was then he was in for a more dangerous life than that of an exorcist, but for now, everyone was happy and the peace Allen knew now would last at least a few more years.

Mana dismissed his young protégé to allow me the time to explain what was happening. I began to notice Tim getting anxious in the air beside me and I had the strangest feeling that Allen was destined for more than just the life of an exorcist. Something told me that Allen was going to be a very big part of the fight against the Earl and the Noah clan. I had to tell Mana what was going on. Clearly something was happening and he needed to know that his relationship could possibly be dangerous. Mana's merry mood turned sour as my thoughts began to reflect on my face.

"What's going on, Cross? Don't tell me you're thinking about taking Allen with you." The sadness had returned.

"No," I said quietly. "Maybe in a few years, but he's far too young for me to consider taking in." I hoped he couldn't tell I was lying. There were kids far younger that were brought to the Order for various tasks every year.

"That's never stopped the Order before!" So he had known. Though I could be tough to my colleagues at the Order I had always told myself that I would treat Mana better than that.

"I see how happy you are and I can't help but feel a slight guilt."

"Interesting coming from you." He apparently didn't believe me. I suppose my reputation had spread far outside headquarters. This was the first time I'd felt angry at Mana. He wasn't usually this difficult for me to deal with.

"I'm not going to take him. Just be careful. He may be more than what we think." Deep down I knew these words were true. Tim's very flustered presence told me one thing: this child's destiny was going to be harsh. Mana gave me a soft, grateful nod before I turned to leave. Tim was fluttering about my head so much that his wings were beginning to blow my hair around. 'Damn Tim,' I thought harshly as I grabbed the little golem by his tail. He was by no means happy at this and tried to bend over his tail to bite my hand. I quickly became irritated at each attempt before finally letting go. "I know, Tim. That boy's the one, but we need to observe him for a while. Stay here and keep an eye on them and report back every week."

As I exited the tent in which Mana and the boy prepared for their shows, I noticed a piece of paper with different symbols written on it. These odd combinations of lines in a large circle were incomplete yet looked very familiar. In fact there was a copy of this very same set of symbols inside of Tim. It was then that I realized I'd found the very child to whom I had given Neah's powers ten years ago.

I left the encampment to continue pursuing my charge at the Order. My travels ranged from the mountains of South America to the Siberian tundra. Tim found me every week and showed his recordings each time. Allen was happier than ever and seemed to be growing closer to the old man. Mana kept himself in the best shape possible to keep up with the boy. One particular recording had me intrigued. It fell during Christmas day and Mana had taken Allen to a constable in a small village. My first thought was that he'd done something wrong, but then I watched as both signed a rather official- looking document. Once the act was done, Allen threw himself into Mana with joy and the constable gave a smile, "Congratulations. You now have a son."

Mana had adopted Allen. I knew I would have to act eventually before something worse happened. At the end of the recording I sent a silent thought to the starts: 'Of course you'd pick your brother's son.'

Life seemed normal for almost two years. It was another Christmas recording, but this time it was only Allen. The child was crying so heavily he had an ice sheet running down his coat. He was sitting up against a tombstone with his legs curled to his chest. When he stood up to stretch I got a glimpse of the name on the grave: Mana Walker. My thoughts sank as I realized that the boy was now alone. It was then I decided to put my current mission on hold and to go retrieve him before something bad happened. Fortunately the trip was short and I arrived at the cemetery only twelve hours after the recording had taken place.

Allen was still sitting against the grave marker but this time he had a rather nasty gash on his face. The sleeve of his coat was missing and his deformed arm was at his side. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. Mana had died and Allen had used the Earl's assistance in turning him into an Akuma. Though relieved to see him alive, I couldn't help but wonder why the Earl hadn't killed him like the countless others before him.

My only thought was that perhaps he also knew what this boy was; who he was destined to become. I would have thought he'd want him dead. After all, young Allen Walker was not only the chosen successor to the only man to defy him and run, but was also the _reincarnation_ of said man. Allen would one day _BE_ the Fourteenth, and I was going to have to be there for him when he reached that point.


End file.
